A&R stands for "Artists & Repertoire". A&R reps are, according to "Inside A&R" by Ken Krongard & Evan Sanchez, "the younger executives on the front lines whose primary role is identifying special musical talent and bringing that talent to the record label. These are the people you are most likely to reach initially."

So, just how do you reach an A&R rep at a record label?

Follow the A&R links below to understand what A&R scouts do everyday, how to make contact with them, and how to increase your chances at getting them to take notice of your music:


• Inside A&R: The Musician's Guide to Pursuing a Major Label Record Deal by Ken Krongard & Evan Sanchez - If you're serious about getting a record deal, then this is a great book to have. The authors are major label A&R professionals who have worked with and signed Avril Lavigne, Sugar Ray, Brandy, Kiss and more.

In this book, they spell out, step-by-step, how you can dramatically increase your chances of being signed in today's music industry. They tell you what the major labels are really looking for, how to contact the right people and how to make the labels contact you! They also teach you how to construct a demo package that will get listened to, how to maximize your live show impact and how to leverage today’s new technologies to increase your chances of being discovered. They even include proven strategies for beating the competition and the 10 Essential Do’s & Don’ts of landing a record deal. We recommend this book highly.

• The A&R Registry - This is THE MUSIC BIBLE for A&R contact information. If you're serious about getting a recording contract, this directory--updated every other month--will give you the direct dial phone numbers of A&R scouts at both indie and major label record labels! It also publishes the name of the CEO and A&R reps' assistants, secretaries (so you can win them over too), website URLs and get this...even all their private email addresses!

• 2003 Recording Industry Sourcebook - The Recording Industry Sourcebook is a huge A&R, music business and production directory--chock full of important music industry contacts. This is a great source for updated (and reliable) music industry contact information, containing over 15,000 listings in more than 67 categories. A searchable Win/Mac CD-ROM of all the book's data is included with every copy making your search for A&R contact information even easier. The 2003 Sourcebook is a great directory to use in today's music industry.

• 10 Things You Should Know About Record Deals, A&R, and the Music 'Biz by A&R executive Rick Goetz, Elektra Records -  Ever wonder what "points" are, how much money a band gets when they sign to a major label, what your cover letters should say to A&R scouts, and how much publishing you should give away? Rick Goetz, Senior Director of A&R at Elektra Records, answers all of your record label and music 'biz questions here. 

• How To Reach A&R Scouts, Managers & Agents, Part #1 by Daylle Deanna Schwartz - Author Daylle Deanna Schwartz (The Real Deal--How To Get Signed to a Record Label; Start and Run Your Own Record Label) shows you the tips and tricks on how to make contact with A&R reps and all those important music 'biz contacts in this informative 3-part series exclusively for Getsigned.com.

• How To Reach A&R Scouts, Managers & Agents, Part #2: How To Target and Reach Key (Music Business) Players by Daylle Deanna Schwartz (The Real Deal--How To Get Signed to a Record Label; Start and Run Your Own Record Label).

• How To Reach A&R Scouts, Managers & Agents, Part #3: Making Initial Contact by Daylle Deanna Schwartz (The Real Deal--How To Get Signed to a Record Label; Start and Run Your Own Record Label).

• A&R and Music 'Biz Q&A, July 25, 2003 by Ian Steaman - Tommy Boy Records' Senior Director of Marketing and A&R, Ian Steaman answers your questions about press kits, clean versus raw rapping, selling more of your CDs, being too old to be signed and much much more! Got a music 'biz/urban music question for Ian? The only place to ask him is here.

• A&R and Music 'Biz Q&A, June 23, 2003 by Ian Steaman - Tommy Boy Records' Senior Director of Marketing and A&R, Ian Steaman answers your questions about selling your beats, becoming a record producer, getting signed, record deals and much much more.

• A&R and Music 'Biz Q&A, March 2001 by Ian Steaman - Tommy Boy Records' Senior Director of Marketing and A&R, Ian Steaman answers your questions about getting signed, A&R, and the business of music.

• A&R and Music 'Biz Q&A, February 2001 by Ian Steaman - Tommy Boy Records' Senior Director of Marketing and A&R, Ian Steaman answers your questions about getting signed, A&R, and the business of music.

• A&R and Music 'Biz Q&A, January 2001 by Ian Steaman - Tommy Boy Records' Senior Director of Marketing and A&R, Ian Steaman answers your questions about getting signed, A&R, and the business of music.

• Why A&R Scouts Only Want to Sign Unique Talent to Record Deals by Chris Knab - Marketing consultant Chris Knab asks the question, "Is your music memorable?" and explains why making UNIQUE music in the midst of imitators will help you get noticed quicker by A&R scouts who are looking to sign new artists.


*There are even more informative articles just about "A&R" on Getsigned.com. To find them, either go to our Getting Signed channel at http://www.getsigned.com/getsigned.html  or search for a specific A&R topic/keyword in our search box located under our logo at the top of this page.